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Sri Lanka have had a difficult time in ODIs of late, and go into this tournament as clear underdogs. But, with this liberating sense of freedom, will they surprise the world?

Andrew Fidel Fernando29-May-20170:58

The wristspinning trump card?

OverviewThe high-intensity training camp has been attended, a foreign bowling coach hired, blessings have been sought, declarations of confidence made, and the press has been conferenced, but will any of that help Sri Lanka leave an impact on the Champions Trophy?Squad

Angelo Mathews (capt), Upul Tharanga, Dinesh Chandimal, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Nuwan Pradeep, Asela Gunaratne, Chamara Kapugedera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Suranga Lakmal, Lasith Malinga, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Thisara Perera, Seekkuge Prasanna, Lakshan Sandakan

Their reality is stark. Sri Lanka’s first game of the tournament is against South Africa, who whitewashed them 5-0 earlier in the year. Their second match is against India, who have beaten them 12 times in their last 15 meetings. Even Pakistan – Sri Lanka’s third opponent – whose own ODI form has been modest, defeated Sri Lanka at home in the most-recent bilateral series between them. Never in this century, perhaps, has a Sri Lanka side approached a global tournament with expectations so low.Yet, along with the low expectations, comes a sense of freedom, Sri Lanka say. There is the hope someone in their top order will take the tournament by the collar – perhaps Kusal Mendis, who has already made his mark in the Test format, or Niroshan Dickwella, whose heroics so far, have been in T20s. There is the belief someone like Lakshan Sandakan, the left-arm wristspinner, can make his presence felt during the opposition’s middle overs.Most of all, Sri Lanka are desperate for a roaring return to ODIs for their longtime match-winner, Lasith Malinga. Though he hasn’t played an ODI since 2015, largely due to injury, Malinga’s form did appear to improve through the recent IPL. Earlier in the year, Malinga’s return to T20s also showcased just how much his experience can lift the attack – not only is he an expert end-overs operator, even the other bowlers appear to lift their performance when Malinga takes the tough roles off their hands.But even with Malinga, it is as yet unclear whether he will be fit enough to deliver 10 overs at full intensity. Where other teams have form, runs and wickets behind them, Sri Lanka have only hope.Champions Trophy history1998 – Semi-finalists
2000 – Knocked out at first stage
2002 – Joint-champions
2004 – Knocked out at group stage
2006 – Knocked out at group stage
2009 – Knocked out at group stage
2013 – Semi-finalists
Form guideThis does not make for pretty reading. Sri Lanka drew a home series 1-1 against Bangladesh this year, but had been pulverized in South Africa, and have been regularly walloped by New Zealand over the past few years. Sri Lanka have not beaten a Champions Trophy side in a bilateral series since late 2014, when they defeated England in a seven-match series at home.ESPNcricinfo LtdStrengthsThe least of Sri Lanka’s weaknesses appears to be their top order. Their likely top six will feature Upul Tharanga, who provides experience, and has prospered in this tournament before. Also on show are Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews – senior men with a history of consistent output, even if the latter is coming back to the side following a long layoff.But perhaps the most-watched players will be Mendis and Dickwella, both of whom are blinding talents, but for whom the most significant hurdle will be the moving ball. Though Mendis had been the player of the tournament in last year’s ODI tri-series in Zimbabwe, and has more recently hit a maiden ODI ton at home, he had made a string of modest scores during Sri Lanka’s tour of South Africa, where the ball behaved roughly the same way it is expected to in England. Dickwella’s game, meanwhile, remains a little raw, and perhaps he is over-reliant on the areas behind square for his runs. If both these batsmen can find form however, Sri Lanka’s totals are likely to be healthy.WeaknessesThere is plenty to choose from here, but it is difficult to look past Sri Lanka’s fielding, which in addition to having cost the team plenty of matches, has also been one of the world’s great recent sources of slapstick comedy. Over the past few years Sri Lankan fielders have routinely dived over the ball, kicked it to the boundary, fist-bumped it, chest-bumped it, groin-bumped it and occasionally used it as a blunt object to hurt themselves with. The quality of Sri Lanka’s fielding has also often been inversely proportional to the temperature, so if London or Cardiff sees an especially cold day, spectators could be in for a few laughs.Key stats Over the past three years, Sri Lanka have lost twice as many matches (36) as they have won (18) against Champions Trophy oppositions Sri Lanka have also conceded an average of 57.9 runs in the last 10 overs of an opposition innings – the worst for any side participating in this Champions Trophy Upul Tharanga has 14 ODI centuries. The remaining batsmen in Sri Lanka’s squad have 10 combined Lasith Malinga last played an ODI on November 7, 2015

Manchester United may lose their spot in the Champions League next season as a result of Sir Jim Ratcliffe acquiring a minority investment.

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• Man Utd could lose Europe qualification
• Need to finish equal or better than Nice
• Both clubs owned by Sir Jim Ratcliffe

• (C)Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ratcliffe is anticipated to pay £1.25 billion to acquire his 25% share at Old Trafford in the next few days. This will be immensely appreciated by supporters who want to see the Glazer family lose their position of power. Ratcliffe's ownership of the French team Nice, though, may provide the Red Devils with difficulties as they try to qualify for Europe as per The Sun.

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• THE EXPLANATION

  Nice are presently one point behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain in the Ligue 1 standings. Man United would need to at least tie them in the Premier League standings in order to be eligible for the redesigned Champions League if they manage to finish in the top four at the conclusion of the season.

  Man United would also not be eligible to play in the Europa League if Nice were to finish fourth. The only chance Man United has to play any sort of European football is if they finish sixth and hope that either Newcastle or Liverpool win the Carabao Cup, which would give them a straight ticket to the Europa Conference League.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Manchester City, United's neighbours, may also be impacted by the FIFA regulations. However, Girona, the City Football Group's Spanish sister club and surprise leaders in La Liga ahead of Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid, may be most affected. Girona would have to do better in the Spanish elite league than Manchester City in the Premier League to stand a chance of making it to the Champions League next season.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD AND NICE?

  On the weekend, Nice will face off with Toulouse on Saturday, November 25 before Manchester United take on Everton on Sunday, as the Toffees look to bounce back from their 10-point deduction.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details6:28

#PoliteEnquiries: Stokes’ hair or Moeen’s beard?

Centuries from Alex Hales and Joe Root powered England to a record victory in the third and final ODI against West Indies in Barbados.The result – the fifth-largest victory in runs terms that England have ever achieved in ODI cricket – means England, who won both the first two ODIs in Antigua, have taken a 3-0 clean-sweep of the series despite losing the toss in every game. It is the first time England have done that since 2003 (in Bangladesh), the first time they have whitewashed West Indies in an ODI series in the Caribbean and the heaviest defeat, in terms of runs, West Indies have ever suffered at home.For a team with such a proud history to be defeated so overwhelmingly at what is generally regarded as their spiritual home will hurt throughout the Caribbean. It will also do West Indies’ chances of qualifying automatically for the 2019 World Cup no good at all. Currently ranked ninth, they must break into the top eight before the end of this September.It was the second-wicket stand between Hales and Root that laid the foundations for this win. The pair added 192 in 30.3 overs with Hales, on his comeback to the side having recovered from a hand injury, recording the fifth century of his ODI career and Root the ninth. Only Marcus Trescothick (with 12) has scored more ODI centuries for England than Root, while Hales (in his 39th innings and 41st match) broke David Gower’s England record (43rd innings and 45th match) as the fastest man to record five ODI centuries.Hales’ century vindicated the England management’s faith in him. Only added to the ODI squad a couple of days ago – he missed out on original selection due to the injury he sustained in India – he was drafted back into the side despite not having batted since January 19, which was hard luck on Sam Billings following his promising performances as his deputy.Not for the first time this series, though, West Indies will rue a couple of missed chances. Root was dropped on 1 and 12, with the first chance – offered to Evin Lewis at midwicket – relatively straightforward by international standards. Lewis was slightly slow to react to the ball and, diving forward late, was unable to cling on to the chance after his elbows crashed onto the turf. Alzarri Joseph was the unfortunate bowler.The second chance was tougher. Ashley Nurse, a solitary slip but positioned about where fourth slip would normally stand, made good ground to his right but again was unable to cling on to the chance as his hit the ground. Jason Holder was the unlucky bowler on that occasion.Batting was not easy for much of the day, but especially in that first hour. Put in on a surface that might have started just a touch damp – it was the third game in succession in which Jason Holder had won the toss – England’s batsmen initially struggled to find their touch on another two-paced pitch offering variable bounce. Jason Roy drove to mid-off and, after 10 overs they had made just 39 for 1.But, as in Antigua, England recognised that conditions would improve and gave themselves time to make up for the slow start. Hales, demonstrating not just his power but his shot selection and temperament, gave himself time to adjust to the conditions and, as they eased and he settled, began to take control.Hales took a particular shine to the legspin of Devendra Bishoo. At one stage, he struck Bishoo for 22 in six balls, a spell that included two fours and two sixes, forcing Holder to withdraw him from the attack and use part-time bowlers such as Kraigg Brathwaite and Jonathan Carter instead.It was a ploy that almost worked. Hales was adjudged to have been leg before to Brathwaite on 93 but called for a review that suggested the ball would have drifted on past the off stump.Root looked far from his best for the first part of his innings. Apart from the two chances, he took 17 balls to score his first three runs and was grateful for a misfield from Kieran Powell, at cover, which gifted him a boundary and helped relieve the pressure upon him. Unable to trust the pace of the ball, though, on another slightly two-paced surface, he picked up all his boundaries with cross-bat strokes – sweeps or pulls generally – with his only two attempts to hit boundaries down the ground resulting in one edge for four and, ultimately, his dismissal, caught at long-on.Once the pair were parted, though – both fell to outfield catches as they tried to accelerate – England’s innings fell away. Joseph, playing in place of the injured Shannon Gabriel, finished with four wickets (albeit for 76 runs) as reward for his pace and persistence, and Holder claimed three as England lost their final nine wickets for 109 runs. They lost their final wicket, a run-out where both batsmen ended up at the same end, from the final ball of the innings. Still, Morgan later suggested a part score might have been “between 220 and 240″ so England were well over.”We came here to win three games, and we’ve won three games,” he said. “I think probably the strongest thing we’ve gained from this trip is adapting to conditions.”I still maintain we can score 300 on most wickets and today has probably proved that. It was probably our best batting performance of the series – simply because I thought conditions were a lot more difficult than we’ve come up against.”We might have defended 200, maybe 220, if we’d bowled as well as we did. When it’s up and down like that, we could easily have lost three wickets early.”I’m not a huge fan of early starts anyway. You can lose the toss and lose early wickets, and in the afternoon it can be beautiful. So it can be quite lop-sided. I’m more of a fan of when conditions are even for both sides.”Not for a moment did West Indies seem likely to chase down their target. Powell fell in the first over, lofting an easy catch to square leg as he mis-timed a turn to leg, before Lewis top-edged an equally simple catch back to the bowler having been beaten for pace as he attempted to pull. Kraigg Brathwaite, pushed down to No. 3, then clipped another simple catch to midwicket.Liam Plunkett, obliged to undergo a fitness test before play to prove he had recovered from the sickness that kept him out of training on Wednesday, all but ended the contest with an opening five-over spell of 3 for 5. He bowled Jason Mohammad with the first ball of his spell and then ended Shai Hope’s patient innings with a slower-ball that was clipped to square leg and, next ball, produced a beauty that nipped in and took the edge of Holder’s on its way to Jos Buttler.Woakes, who finished with 3 for 16 from eight immaculate overs, was named man of the series after another impressive performance.While Carter averted a record-breaking margin of victory, no-one else in the side could contribute even 20 as West Indies were bowled out with 64 deliveries of their innings left unused. It meant they had been bowled out within their 50 overs in every match of the series and represented the biggest defeat (in run terms) of their ODI history against England and their third biggest against anyone, anywhere.

Mohammad Hafeez called Pakistan’s series-levelling win at the MCG a “special, special blessing” and said his bowlers accepting responsibility set the tone in the first innings

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jan-2017Pakistan’s stand-in captain Mohammad Hafeez called his side’s series-levelling win at the MCG a “special, special blessing”, and said his bowlers accepting responsibility set the tone in the first innings. It was Pakistan’s first victory against Australia in 17 matches across formats since January 2005.”This win was a special, special blessing,” Hafeez said at the post-match press conference. “Everyone took that responsibility to do that job for Pakistan. Last game, we had our moments but we couldn’t continue that pressure. We had a good team meeting and realised the importance of taking responsibility. Stats have changed, history has changed.”Last game, when we had to put the pressure, our bowlers couldn’t respond. In this match, our bowlers didn’t let go of that attacking tendency. For me as a captain, and even the coach, we had to ensure we played attacking and positive cricket. We couldn’t be negative and think about the past.”Hafeez also said his bowlers assessed conditions early and chasing more than 250 would have been “very difficult.””It was important to restrict Australia to a score where we as a batting unit, could chase that: 250 was a par score on this pitch because it was not coming on to the bat,” Hafeez said. “We kept the pressure on and that really worked for us.”If we had to chase a 250-plus score, it would have been very difficult. The bowlers got the wickets at the right time, which gave us the confidence to do everything we wanted to.”Hafeez wasn’t part of Pakistan’s initial ODI squad, but received a late call-up from the team management and the captain, Azhar Ali. “I was never negative, I knew I’ll be back in the team at any stage,” Hafeez said. “My performance was not good at the domestic level, but the management trusted my ability and asked me to come here and add the value to the team.”

The ICC announced on Monday that a revised constitution for USA Cricket Association will be put up for consideration at the next ICC board meeting later this month

Peter Della Penna03-Oct-2016The ICC announced on Monday that a revised constitution for USA Cricket Association will be put up for consideration at the next ICC board meeting later this month. Ratifying a revised constitution is one of the key terms and conditions for the USACA to be reinstated as an Associate member of the ICC following their suspension in 2015.The announcement came after an ICC delegation including chief executive David Richardson and chairman Shashank Manohar spent the weekend in New York having meetings with stakeholders, including members of four advisory groups appointed to help carry out the ICC’s strategic framework outline. According to the ICC release, members of the advisory group formulated the revised constitution over the last several months before presenting it to the ICC delegation this weekend. The advisory groups comprises people from across the USA cricket community, including USACA board members and administrators.”We have heard from representatives across the USA cricketing community and there is a clear desire from them to unify under a single umbrella,” Richardson said. “The ICC is here to facilitate that process of building a strong foundation on which the sport can develop. Should the ICC Board consider the new constitution appropriate for the US market then we would look to USACA to adopt that as part of the fulfilment of their reinstatement conditions before full implementation of the constitution in 2017.”USACA board representatives, including president Gladstone Dainty, also met separately with the ICC delegation over the weekend. It is unclear how much input, if any, the Dainty-led board – separate from the USACA administrators who have been appointed to the ICC advisory groups – had in the revised constitution that will be presented to the ICC board.The ICC had given USACA until December 15 to comply with meeting all conditions for reinstatement, including ratifying a new constitution. Failure to meet the deadline may result in a resolution to be put to the ICC board before the end of the year for the expulsion of USACA, which would be put forward at the ICC annual conference in June 2017.

ScorecardSteve Magoffin finished with 10 wickets in the match•Getty Images

Steve Magoffin celebrated a ten-wicket match haul for the fourth time in his Sussex career but Worcestershire are favourites to beat them and improve their chances of claiming runners-up spot in Division Two of the Specsavers County Championship.Magoffin followed his first innings 5 for 38 by taking 5 for 32 from 15 overs as Worcestershire were dismissed for 198 in their second innings on another day of rich entertainment in which 17 wickets fell and 390 runs were scored.It has left Sussex with a victory target of 272 on a pitch still offering plenty of assistance to the seam bowlers and they suffered a big blow in the final over of the day when Chris Nash was leg before to Joe Leach. They will resume on 13 for 1, still needing 259 to win.Worcestershire had claimed a crucial first innings lead of 77 but Magoffin had them in trouble immediately when Daryl Mitchell was caught at cover off a leading edge from the first ball of the innings.

Magoffin ‘best in division’

Mark Davis, Sussex coach: “Steve Magoffin bowled magnificently again on a pitch where you can score runs quite quickly. In the last few games he has been absolutely fantastic for us and here he got great support from the other seamers, particularly David Wiese. It was great to see Chris Jordan and Jofra Archer batting so intelligently. CJ is a bit of a mentor to Jofra and it showed – their partnership might turn out to be absolutely crucial.”
Matt Mason, Worcestershire assistant coach: “Our batsmen think Steve Magoffin is the best new-ball bowler in the division and he showed it again, I thought he was magnificent for them.

Magoffin struck again in this second over when Chris Nash pulled off a superb diving catch at second slip to remove Brett D’Oliveira. Magoffin has now claimed the wickets of 22 opening batsmen this season – the best record in the country – but Worcestershire rallied thanks to a stand of 68 between Tom Fell and Joe Clarke.Throughout the game, though, wickets have fallen in clusters and it happened again when three fell in the space of 18 balls. Wiese picked up Clarke (35) when he mis-timed a drive to extra cover before George Rhodes (6) was leg before offering no shot in the South African’s next over.Tom Kohler-Cadmore was leg before to Jofra Archer to register his fourth successive duck and leave his side 76 for 5 but once again Fell led a recovery, this time with Ben Cox. Together they added 113 in 24 overs with left-arm spinner Danny Briggs targeted as he had been in the first innings. Cox struck him down the ground for two sixes while Fell pushed on after being dropped by Nash on 57.Magoffin was summoned back into the attack and immediately made the breakthrough when Fell, trying to cut, was surprised by extra bounce and edged behind for 85, made from 126 balls with 12 fours.In his next over a full-length delivery was too good for Cox (56) and Magoffin completed his five-for when he yorked Miguel Cummins.Wiese gave him excellent support, picking up the last two wickets to finish with 4 for 18, his best figures for the county.Worcestershire would have been in an even better position had Chris Jordan not led some spirited resistance by Sussex’s lower order earlier in the day.From a parlous 71 for 7 he helped the last three wickets put on 158 of which his own contribution was an unbeaten 57. An enterprising stand of 97 with Archer ensured Sussex avoided the follow-on but it was their fellow Barbadian Cummins who stole the show.The Worcestershire paceman finished with figures of 7 for 84 after picking up four more wickets in a high-quality display down the slope on a pitch offering him plenty of encouragement.

An attendance of 27,119, a domestic record for Twenty20 cricket in the UK, watched a thrilling Middlesex victory over Surrey

Vithushan Ehantharajah at Lord's21-Jul-2016
ScorecardEoin Morgan’s 42 helped Middlesex beat local rivals Surrey•Getty Images

A thrilling match, in front of a record crowd, broadcast on TV and with the very best on show taking star turns. The T20 Blast has not always been able to get all those ingredients into the same pot. But tonight, everything seemed to fall into place.The attendance of 27,119 is now a domestic record for Twenty20 cricket in the UK. Lord’s also happens to hold the record for an international, too, when the 2009 World T20 final reeled in over 28,000. There were a couple factors that threatened today’s record.Severe delays on the Jubilee Line had some punters thinking twice about joining the clammy rush-hour scrum to St John’s Wood. The walk from Baker Street station, normally a leisurely stroll past some of Sherlock Holmes’ old watering holes, was a steady stream of fans frog-marching cooler bags along the westerly brim of Regent’s Park. Middlesex’s own form, too, might have encouraged some diehards to stay away to avoid the gloating bellows of their rivals from south London, who had enjoyed a six-game winning streak at Lord’s before the tables turned last season.But just as bigger steps cut down the 20-minute walk, signal failures rectified from Bond Street, and the opening of the Warner Stand (roof still to be attached) increased the potential for a bumper crowd, so too did Middlesex’s rediscovered knack of winning short form games. There is a marked difference to the way they are now approaching Twenty20 cricket.Dawid Malan, following his appointment as white-ball captain, has ensured that elements of Middlesex’s T20 plans are now player-led. That his side triumphed tonight by chasing down a target of 197, with plenty left in the tank, while he, their leading run-scorer in the competition, was slapping Sri Lanka A about for 185 off 126 balls, says it all. With bat and ball, this was a free-form T20 performance that sees them jump to third in the south group, with 13 points from 11 played.It is worth starting with the chase of 197, done with five balls and as many wickets to spare. Paul Stirling could not have hit a more Paul Stirling 34: cover drives played with a savagery rarely associated with the shot while also finessing a back-of-a-length ball over backward square leg for a dainty six. Eoin Morgan, pushed up to three, then clobbered 42 off 24 balls, which included putting Azhar Mahmood on the roof of the Grandstand. Rarely one for holding the pose or a lingering gaze, even he looked on wistfully at his own majesty.In the last two months, Morgan has played to 50,000 in a World T20 final at Eden Gardens, stepped out at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in the IPL and then, in his opening T20 Blast fixture, batted on a school ground. A lot is made of Morgan’s appetite for English domestic cricket, but who can blame him when life outside it sees him on Broadway. He showed today what keeps him going – a challenge, an atmosphere, a prize to be won. Never mind attracting overseas stars, it’s imperative to have a competition that motivates your own.He departed in the 11th over, one which started with 85 needed from 60 balls. With 30 balls left, that had been chopped down to 37, thanks to a brisk partnership between George Bailey (50) and John Simpson (43 from 26) that was eventually broken for 67. By then, the ask was simply 10 from 14.Quite how Surrey failed to breach 200, having smashed 80 for none off the first six overs, was a mystery. Once Jason Roy departed at the beginning of the eighth over, for a thrill-a-ball half-century which took just 24 deliveries, the constant fear of boundaries subsided. The 10 overs that followed the Powerplay saw just 74 scored. Surrey’s middle order has long been a problem area masked by the dashers up top. For them to evolve as a T20 force, it needs addressing.It was the introduction of legspinner Nathan Sowter that shored Middlesex up, allowing them to retain respectability in the field. Coming on in the seventh over, he returned figures of two for 29 from his four overs: a back-of-the-hand delivery slowing up on Steven Davies, who skewed a drive to gully before Rory Burns, stuck in a rut, top-edged a sweep to John Simpson.The main squeeze came between the 11th and 16th overs as Sowter and Ryan Higgins bowled in tandem for a five-over period that saw 33 runs and just one boundary conceded. Higgins is an interesting case: primarily a batsman, he found himself bowling a few overs here and there during preseason and in the warm-up Twenty20 matches. It was in these fixtures that he surprised coaches and Middlesex’s analyst with his ability to seemingly bowl yorkers at will.Today was the first time that Middlesex really put his newly discovered talents to the test. Initially, his three overs went for just 17 runs – none of them from boundaries. But when Harry Podmore was removed from the attack after a second waist-high full toss, he returned to bowl the remaining five balls of the penultimate over. The first delivery hit straight over his head and into the members by Chris Morris. The very next was caught at midwicket for his first wicket in the T20 Blast. He was the only bowler that restricted Finch to less than a run a ball.The individual to benefit most from the squeeze was James Fuller, whose spell at the death, which returned 2 for 14 – he took 2 for 3 in the 20th over – helped offset a catastrophic opening burst that saw him concede 29 from his opening two overs.Surrey’s destiny is now out of their hands. Winning their remaining games will help, but without the goodwill of others, they face another season of T20 disappointment.

Worcestershire broke the only unbeaten record in this season’s NatWest T20 Blast and moved clear at the top of the North Group

ECB Reporters Network10-Jun-2016
ScorecardBen Cox sealed Worcestershire’s victory in the final over•Getty ImagesWorcestershire broke the only unbeaten record in this season’s NatWest T20 Blast and moved clear at the top of the North Group when beating Northamptonshire by Worcestershire by three wickets at New Road.Wicketkeeper Ben Cox followed up three catches in Northamptonshire’s 169 for 7 by taking the nine runs wanted from the last over in three balls from Mohammad Azharullah – a reverse paddle for four, a pull for four and a single into the covers.Cox finished unbeaten with 42 from 24 balls, having turned the match in his team’s favour after going in at 102 for 5, but it seemed that Worcestershire had lost their best chance when Tom Kohler-Cadmore was dismissed for 60 by Rob Keogh’s juggling act on the deep extra cover boundary.Keogh, who previously held a one-handed catch at mid-off from Brett D’Oliveira, knocked the ball up before completing the catch.Both sides were handicapped by constant drizzle and poor light in Worcestershire’s innings and at first the game was tilting towards Northants when Azharullah took two wickets in an over to leave the home side teetering on 20 for 3.Earlier, Ben Duckett’s first half-century of the season in the competition was crucial to setting up a challenging total for Northants, but the left hander benefited from two lapses in Worcestershire’s normally reliable fielding.This was rough luck on George Rhodes as the son of the county’s director of cricket made his home debut following an impressive start in the Royal London Cup against Yorkshire earlier in the week.The 22-year-old spinner was in his first over when Duckett, on 6, was dropped by Jack Shantry at short third man and returned later to see the batsman’s second life, on 28, when D’Oliveira fumbled a stringing drive to extra cover. Rhodes had figures of 1 for 11 from his two overs, his wicket coming when Alexei Kervezee at deep square leg held a well-judged catch from Steven Crook.Duckett went on to reach his 50 from 34 balls after hitting three sixes and four fours but without addition to his score he was seventh out at 140, bowled by Joe Leach as Worcestershire’s acting captain finished with 3 for 26.Leach was called on to lead the side when Daryl Mitchell suffered a side strain in the nets, a major blow to Worcestershire, who were already without paceman Matt Henry, but Northamptonshire were even more depleted with Richard Levi, Rory Kleinveldt and Olly Stone on their lengthening casualty list.Wickets fell on a regular basis on a sluggish surface, although Alex Wakely, Josh Cobb and Keogh all had time to deal in some heavy blows.Keogh was brilliantly caught overhead at mid-off as Shantry atoned for his earlier miss but the when he came on to bowl the penultimate over, Graeme White smashed three consecutive sixes.

Former India captain Rahul Dravid has been appointed team mentor of Delhi Daredevils. Dravid will head a refurbished coaching bench at Daredevils, who have also hired former South Africa and India assistant coach Paddy Upton as head coach.Dravid and Upton will work with a team of assistants: Zubin Bharucha (technical director), former India batsmen Sridharan Sriram and Praveen Amre (batting coaches), and former Tamil Nadu and India fast bowler TA Sekhar (bowling consultant).”I am very excited by the challenge of taking Delhi Daredevils on to the next level. From what I have seen I have been impressed by the ambition and energy demonstrated by the team and I look forward to working with a group of players that I believe have what it takes to succeed,” Dravid said.”Along with the rest of the support staff, I am fully aware of what this franchise means to its supporters and I intend to do everything possible to help build a team that the fans can be proud of.”The franchise was forced to ring in changes to the coaching staff once former South Africa batsman and coach Gary Kirsten’s three-year contract was terminated after two seasons. Under Kirsten, who took charge in September 2013, Daredevils finished bottom of the table in IPL 2014 and second from the bottom last year. Daredevils also axed Kirsten’s assistant Rob Walters, who was the trainer.Incidentally, the trio of Dravid, Upton and Bharucha were part of the core team at Rajasthan Royals, which has been suspended for two seasons by the Lodha Committee. In 2014, having served as captain in previous seasons, Dravid assumed the role of team director cum mentor at Royals. In the 28 matches Dravid oversaw, the franchise won 13 matches and lost 12, with two ties and one no result.One of the most sought after coaches in the T20 format, Upton recently won the Big Bash League with Sydney Thunder, before also coaching Lahore Qalandars in the inaugural Pakistan Super League.”I relish the privilege to work again with Rahul and Zubin, and to have the opportunity to do so at a franchise like Delhi Daredevils,” Upton said. “I am constantly learning about the Twenty20 format as I move around the world, and look forward to applying and furthering this knowledge at the coming IPL season with Delhi.”

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy is in favour of potentially bringing back Mauricio Pochettino but there are some reservations from others at the club.

Could Spurs bring Pochettino back?

The Argentine manager has now been out of work for around eight months now after departing Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of last year.

And there are reports suggesting the former Spurs boss has recently rejected an approach from Chelsea as they consider their options amid their own struggles.

Pochettino has previously said he sees himself returning to Spurs having left the club back in 2019 and it seems as if an opportunity could be arising as Antonio Conte looks set to leave in the coming months.

Speaking on the Ranks FC podcast, insider Dean Jones has suggested this is something which could come to fruition but it does not necessarily have the backing of everyone behind the scenes at Tottenham:

“There aren’t actually that many people within Tottenham that think it’s a good idea to go to Poch. I’m told that Daniel Levy is the guy that is most in favour of Pochettino, but there are people around him that really aren’t into it.

“And you’ve got to think too, the system has been built around Conte – Paratici, for example – like, there’s things like that won’t exist if Pochettino comes back, this whole hierarchy if you like that’s been built up, I can’t see Pochettino working under that system.”

Would Pochettino be the best choice for Spurs?

During Conte’s time at Spurs, it has been apparent the Italian has very strong views over the signings the club makes and is not worried about isolating players who may not fit his brief.

This can be seen through the likes of Djed Spence and Arnaut Danjuma who have both arrived at Spurs this season and struggled to pick up any consistent game time.

Given Spurs are currently struggling to find the back of the net, bringing on Lucas Moura over Danjuma – as was the case at the weekend – could be proving a move which is only hindering the team.

And when it comes to young players, Pochettino has proven he is capable of extracting the best from them having done so with the likes of Harry Kane, Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli.

There may an argument that a potential return for Pochettino could see him inherit a lot of players which were still at the club when he was sacked back in 2019.

Although that may be true, the summer could offer him the opportunity to offload the likes of Davinson Sanchez who is believed to be a player Spurs want to sell.

Regardless of what players are at the club, someone is going to inherit them and Pochettino is a man who brought the fans together unlike any of his successors.

There may be the argument that he was unable to bring trophies to Spurs, and although that may be true, neither have any of the managers since.